Career Changes Among Physical Educators

Abstract

Physical educators experience several occupational constraints and a high risk of physical injury associated with a high attrition rate. Our investigation aimed at identifying the principal career reorientation factors among physical educators and reasons for their career changes. This research used semistructured interviews (n = 53) that were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. While younger teachers frequently invoked job precariousness, the more experienced teachers and those who made a transition toward other teaching functions put more emphasis on teaching problems, work conditions, and physical context. Those who transferred toward administrative duties insisted on their desire for a new challenge. Our study indicates that career reorientation is most often associated with job precariousness and the pursuit of new challenges, respectively, for younger and older physical educators.

Key words:

• occupational constraints
• physical education
• professional trajectory
• qualitative method

Additional information

Notes on contributors

François Trudeau

This project was supported by an operating grant from the Institut de recherche en santé et sécurité au travail du Québec. We very much appreciated the contribution of all study participants. Please address correspondence concerning this article to François Trudeau, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 boul. des Forges, C.P. 500, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada G9A 5H7.